Heist
by Zephyrus14
Summary: Fresh out of prison, Lucas is looking to execute the next high-profile job. Unfortunately for him,the game's changed over the last 5 years and he has to assemble a new team. The one thing that will drive them to the finish is the thrill of it all.
1. The Riviera Affair

**So the last thing I should be doing is starting a new fic. Honestly, I don't know if I'll have time to update it from now until the end of the school year, but I'll try my best. As you're reading this, you'll probably notice the Ocean's Eleven undertones to the story. That's because I was watching the movie for the hundredth time. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

><p>Sporting squinting eyes covered by a pair of black Wayfarers, the blonde man took a quick drag from his cigarette and exhaled. It was his first in 5 years and it was a habit he swore he would kick one day.<p>

5 years. 5 years of his life wasted in prison because a team of incompetent fools. He fell through with his original crew a few months before that. They cited "creative differences".

What the fuck was that supposed to mean? True, he got a little ambitious, but no one ever got far without taking a few risks. It was the plot of the century and tarnished. By what? Fear? The one thing he liked about himself was the fear was long removed from him. Too bad he couldn't say the same for the rest of them.

The game undoubtedly changed since he was jailed. Though, he was certain that his name still held weight. It didn't matter that he just got out; he was determined to plan the next biggest heist he could.

* * *

><p>Nathan Scott took his seat in front of the monitor and sighed. His eyes caught the silver chip, as they often did, sitting on his desk.<p>

He left the game and settled down. Got a house in the suburbs and married Haley James. He was the epitome of the American dream. Few years back, he was a deadbeat, moving from heist to heist, hoping to make a quick dollar. He was the most morally corrupt person he knew and at times, he wasn't sure he knew himself at all.

Sure he married the perfect woman. He had the perfect life; perfect house, perfect car. But perfect wasn't exciting. Not to say he didn't love Haley; he would move mountains for her. His life lacked the adrenaline that the game gave him.

"Mr. Scott, a package came for you." His secretary placed the navy blue box in front of him.

"Do you know who from?"

She shrugged and shook her head. "A messenger dropped it off at the front desk and the receptionist gave it to me. Sorry."

"No. It's fine. Thanks."

She promptly left and he promptly opened the box.

* * *

><p>Nathan walked into the bar and surely enough the only person there was seated with a glass of scotch. He cleared his throat and approached.<p>

"No one drinks this early in the day," he said as he took a seat.

The man turned his head to face him and spared but a glance before facing forward again. "It's never too early, Nate."

The bartender walked over. "Can I get you anything sir?"

Nathan replied, "No thank you. I won't be here long."

The bartender nodded and left.

"What do you want Lucas?"

"I have an offer."

Nathan scoffed. "And the last one landed you in prison. No offense, but I'm not dumb enough to risk my life like this."

"Last I heard, you became an architect. The rest of the world thinks you did good with your life, but I know it's not the life for you. Don't kid yourself, Nate. You need this."

"I don't need anything. Don't you think the money you have is enough? Maybe it's time you made something of yourself."

"FBI froze my assets and you know I don't do it for the money. Apparently, you do. Nate, I know the game isn't lost on you. Somewhere deep inside, you know you want to come back. I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want to do, but you want this," Lucas said as he took a black card and a hundred from the inside of jacket, "Call me when you come to your senses. Barkeep! Get the kid a shot of vodka, will you?"

* * *

><p>As he exited the bar, Lucas pulled out a black ledger and crossed Nathan's name from the list. He got into his rental and hurried to the next location, a construction site near Chambers.<p>

An unsuspecting construction worker walked in his general direction as he stopped him. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find a "Jake Jagielski"?"

"The pretty boy with a bad temper? The boss is in there chewing him out. He never learns to follow simple instructions. The boss' office is over there." He pointed toward the trailer at the end of the site.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Lucas ran in, keeping his distance from the trailer as he neared. He watched through the window as the two men engaged in what seemed to be a screaming match.

Moments later, Jake flung open the door and kicked the sand on the ground. "Fucking dumbass."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Lucas remarked, temporarily startling Jake.

"Goddamn. They finally let you out of prison?"

Lucas raised his arms as if to present himself. "Looks like they did and it's the dumbest thing they'll ever do. Listen Jake, I've got a job lined up and-"

"I'm in," Jake interrupted.

"You're in?" Lucas smirked.

"Yea I'm in."

"You're an impulsive shithead."

"At least I wasn't the one to get caught."

"Touche."

"You went to Nate first, didn't you?"

"Are you offended?"

"He's your brother, but he's not one of us anymore. He got a wife."

"I'm well aware, but men like him don't just forget where they come from."

"And you think he's going to take you up on your offer?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. And honestly, it's great that I've got my demolitions expert back on my team." He pulled out his ledger and opened it to a page full of names. "You see this?" He crossed out Jake's name. "I've got a whole fucking list of names to go through and I've no idea where some of them have gone. You think you can help?"

The corners of Jake's mouth turned upward mischievously. "Let's get started Boss."

* * *

><p>The two were standing at a nearby public telephone. Lucas refused to use his cell phone so as to avoid being traced.<p>

"So I've got the location of Rachel and Mouth is off somewhere, but it shouldn't be too hard to find him. The rest we'll have to wait until tomorrow."

"Then let's go."

They got into Lucas' car. "So what's Rachel been doing these past 5 years?"

"She became a stripper."

Lucas furrowed his brows. "Are you kidding me? That girl has more money than most of the people that go to those shady places. What the fuck is she doing at a strip club?"

"She's a loose cannon. You know her; she does whatever the fuck she wants. She tells me you're the best she's ever had. That no guy is going to live up to you and she's doing it for the attention."

"How the hell do you know about that?" he hissed.

"Got her drunk and she just let it spill."

"Jake, you didn't-" he raised his voice.

"Calm down chief. She slept it out on her own. Now you're out, you two can do whatever."

Lucas gave him a stern glare. "It was once Jake. We were both drunk out of our minds. She knows it's never going to happen again."

"It's a shame. She's hot."

Jake pulled into the parking lot for the club.

"She's more than that. Stay in the car. I'll go get her."

* * *

><p>Lucas opened the door and walked into the club. There was nothing nice about the place. The bar was situated to the far left and was serving questionable drinks. There were a few businessmen seated in the front, looking the part of frat boys had it not been for the suits.<p>

And there Rachel was, in an outfit that left nothing to the imagination. Front and center. He took a seat near the stage.

"How much is it going to cost me to take you off this stage?"

She stopped dancing and turned toward the voice. "Listen douche- Lucas?"

"Hey Red," he smiled, "Interested in a change of occupation?"

"Depends. What are you willing to offer?" she asked suggestively.

"There's money."

"We can never have it all."

"The excitement of the game."

"You're all the excitement I need."

He shrugged. "Then there's nothing else I can offer." He got up, preparing to leave.

"You give up easily, you know?" she shouted.

He ignored her and continued walking.

She hopped off the stage, ignoring the protests of the angry patrons. "You're an insolent asshole."

Still, he ignored her and headed toward the car, slowing down so to let her catch up. When she finally did, she found herself staring at a smiling Jake Jagielski seated in the driver's seat and Mouth who was in the back.

Realizing his intentions, Rachel chuckled. "You were serious about planning another job?"

"I don't know when to stop. So you want to blow this joint and join my team, or what?" He opened the car door for her, half expecting her to enter and that she did. He followed suit afterwards.

Rachel leaned forward as Jake revved up the engine. "So who else is on the team?"

"The people in this car. Some people not. We're going to continue this tomorrow." He crossed out the next two names on his ledger. "We're going to split up. Jake, you've got Skills and Clay Evans. Rachel, you take Owen Morello and Quinn James. I'm going to contact Richard and Whitey. Mouth, you're coming with me. That way you don't have to talk to anyone. How did you get here anyways?"

Mouth smiled and held up his iPhone. "This thing picks up any heat I may be getting. Pretty helpful with the cops on my tail, or were on my tail. This basically cross-references the-"

"Get to the point Mouth," they said in unison.

He shook his head. "Right. Word spread that you guys were looking for me so I came looking for you guys instead."

"Saved us the trouble. That's why you're my favorite," Lucas said, knowingly riling up the others.

Sure enough, Rachel and Jake started protesting. "I thought I was your favorite." "What are you talking about? I'm his favorite."

Lucas chuckled. Just then, his phone began ringing.

"Guys. GUYS! Can I get some fucking quiet?" They complied and stared at Lucas.

He let the phone ring a couple of times.

"Well? Who is it?" Jake asked for the others.

"It's Nate," he cleared his throat and finally answered, "Go for Lucas."

"I'm in."

"Good." He cut the line.

A long silence ensued.

That is, until Rachel decided to speak. "I'm still his favorite."


	2. Sing, Sing, Sing

The bodyguard opened the passenger door to reveal a man whose face had wrinkled with age.

In his hands was a bouquet of flowers. Camellias, to be exact.

His feet trod the damp soil in search of the gravestone he so longed to see. Once there, he laid down the flowers and his fingers brushed the engraved name. Without turning around, he spoke softly, "What do you want Lucas?"

"Five years and nothing has changed. You still visit Camilla every day. It's hard to find a man with such loyalty and dedication nowadays."

He repeated. "What do you want?"

"I've got a job lined up, you're the best I know when it comes to reconnaissance. I need you on my team Whitey."

Whitey whipped around and half knocked Lucas on the head. "Are you stupid, boy? Was one time in jail not enough?"

"Things went wrong last time. And if I recall correctly, you weren't on my team. You remember what you promised my mother before she died?"

His eyes widened in response and he did nothing to mask his anger. "Don't you dare start with me, boy!"

Lucas ignored him and continued. "You promised my mother that you would look after me. Look, I don't blame you for anything that's happened. You thought I was stupid before and by leaving my team, you were trying to prove a point. Guess what? Point proven. But stupid gets people places. Rationality and reason dirty the game. You taught me that, remember?"

"What I remember is that it cost me the love of my life. Open your eyes Lucas. The game runs you to the ground, makes you think you have everything and rips it out from under you. Stop while you have the chance. Nathan did it, you should too."

"Nathan's in," Lucas said, hoping the short retaliation would hold its weight.

"What is it with you Scott boys? I'm going to knock some sense into that boy." Whitey turned to walk away.

However, Lucas caught his arm in time. "You know it's not going to make a difference. Don't you think it's time that you stopped living a routine? We all saw how happy Camilla made you, but we also saw how happy the game made you. What you're doing isn't living. And you can slap me for saying this, but now that Camilla isn't here, you can go back to the game. Camilla would have wanted you to be happy."

The slap he expected never came. "I'm too old for this."

Lucas scoffed. "Says who?"

"Says my last team. I got kicked off because I quote, '_The old man was getting in the way_'."

"You walk faster than most of my team and your mind is as sharp as ever. No one knows the world like you do Whitey. One job. If you don't like it, you can walk."

"One job and if I don't like it, I can walk?" Whitey asked. His face resembled that of a kid asking his mother for ice cream.

Lucas nodded. "That's what I said."

"Maybe it's time I got my head checked because I couldn't possibly be contemplating this."

* * *

><p>Rachel walked into the boxing gym, immediately standing out as the only woman in the place. She received several howls and whistles, to which she was accustomed and wholeheartedly welcomed.<p>

Her hips involuntarily swayed a little bit more. Her chest involuntarily jutted out a little more. She wasn't the looker for nothing.

Once she caught the man of the hour, she trailed a lazy finger down the course of his spine. "Hey Morello, nice ass."

His smirk became apparent as he turned around. "Thanks. I guess your fake boobs are nice too."

Her expression changed into one of mock anger. She grabbed his balls and whispered into his ears. "Didn't know you kept raisins in there."

When she let go, Owen doubled over in pain and the veins in his face made their appearance. "What the fuck Rachel?"

She shrugged and sat on a nearby bench, legs crossed in a way that accentuated her calves. "I'd like to keep this encounter as short as possible because I have to meet up with someone else. So, I'm going to cut right to the chase. Lucas wants you on a job. You in?"

His laugh was nothing short of sarcastic. "You still got it bad for that pretty boy?"

She growled. "Shut up Owen. You in or not?"

"I'm in if Lucas has Jake."

She threw a quick fake smile in his direction. "Yes, your man crush is on the team. Is there anything else you need to know?"

"Yea. When do we leave?"

* * *

><p>Cut to Chinatown in some backroom casino. Zoom in on the table with two people that looked nothing like the others in the room. That's Skills and Clay. The two always traveled with each other. Close as brothers. Both were born actors. Skills was the accents expert, had every one in the fucking book down pat. Clay was the languages expert. Quite helpful when some of their missions went awry because of a mishap in communication.<p>

And that's exactly where Jake found them; hustling the people at their table, sharing knowing looks. Jake shook his head. The elderly? Now that was fucked up.

He walked over and lifted Clay's arm with one hand and pulled out the card in his sleeve with the other.

"Aww come on Jake. We were trying to play cards here," Skills groaned.

"You don't hustle from the elderly. Besides the stuff here? That's small fish."

"Fai di zao!" yelled the man, who quickly shut the door.

"Great. Now we're kicked out," Clay said.

"I've got better stuff lined up for you."

The two lifted their heads immediately at the prospect. "We're listening," said Skills.

"I don't know the specific details, but Lucas got out of prison and he's assembling a new team. Problem is, we've got to start from scratch and we don't know if you guys are up for it."

"We're in," Clay answered.

"As long as we get a sizable cut," Skills added.

"And there's another problem."

"We need an advance on our rent."

Jake furrowed his brows. "What happened to the money you guys made on the last job?"

Jake turned his head toward Clay, who answered. "Well, we kind of spent it."

Then back to Skills. "Backpacking through Europe, to be exact."

Then back to Clay. "Those European girls don't easy if you catch my drift."

Then back to Skills. "And then we headed to South America."

Then back to Clay. "Blew most of it on underground casinos and drinks."

Jake finally decided to interrupt. "OKAY! Can you guys stop finishing each other's sentences?"

"Sorry Jake."

"We do it out of habit"

His eyes communicated a clear, "Really?" to shut them up.

"So… where are we meeting?"

"I'm kind of hungry. I think we should grab a bite to eat before we go. What do you think Skills?"

"Yea dawg, I'm-"

"Can you both please shut the hell up?"

* * *

><p>Next destination was the park. According to Whitey, Richard had fallen off the radar. He was long removed from the game and spent most of his days feeding birds or playing chess.<p>

Sure enough there he was.

"Drat, you always win," complained the elderly man as he got up from his seat, "I'm not playing anymore." His nurse helped him up as he walked away.

Lucas seized the opportunity and took the empty seat. "Never pegged you as the type, Richard."

It was clear to anyone who observed their relationship that Richard treated Lucas like a son. Richard laughed warmly and responded, "Things have changed Lucas. Whitey tells me you're back."

He shrugged. "News travels fast. I trust that you know what I'm going to ask you?"

"Yes I do Lucas. And the answer's no."

"Why not?"

"I'm old." He lifted his hands, which shook unsteadily. "My hands aren't good anymore. The game's cost me more than I can afford." He placed a hand on Lucas' cheek. "If you can respect an old man's wish, please don't press the issue."

Lucas sighed. " You're one of the best. Anyone else, I would have relentlessly asked until I got a yes. And you know you're making this hard for me." Richard nodded. "But I'll do what you ask. If you can do me a small favor though…"

"Anything."

"You know anyone else with your skill? Anyone that can be of help?"

It was Richard's turn to sigh. "Only one, but I won't be able to convince her."

"Who?" Lucas asked anxiously.

"My daughter."

A look of shock crossed Lucas' face. "You have a daughter?"

Richard nodded. "About your age too. Spitting image of her mother. Anyways, she refuses to talk to me. Says she hates me. I taught her everything I know and if you're even going to stand a chance, you need her, not me."

"Is she in the game?"

"No, it took me away from her. She blames it for my faults. Lucas, that girl inherited my stubbornness." Lucas nodded. "You going to have to work hard to convince her to do this." Lucas nodded again. "And _when_ you do, you better take care of my little girl. If news gets back to me that you've done anything to hurt her, I'll make you go to hell and back. It won't matter that you're like a son to me."

"Understood. Where can I find her?"

"She works as a server at Katz's"

"Thanks Richard. Now, how about a game of chess?"

* * *

><p>The gang sat at a local eatery, waiting for their food. Rachel and Owen met up with Jake, Skills, and Clay. Lucas let Mouth go after sensing the sheer boredom practically written across his forehead.<p>

Skills pushed his plate toward Rachel, encouraging her to eat.

She looked at the plate in disgust and shook her head. Skills shrugged and began eating the rest of the contents.

"So, when's Lucas going to be here?" asked Skills.

Mouth answered. "When he told me to go, he was talking to Richard."

"Lucas isn't coming here," Jake announced, "He wants us to meet at his warehouse in Brooklyn."

"Man, I love that place," said Skills.

"I second that, that place is decked out. It's heaven in there," said Clay, "Minus the fact that there are no pictures of half-naked models on the walls."

"But now we have Rachel," said Skills in a rather peppy voice.

"Thanks a lot guys," she responded sarcastically.

"Aren't we waiting for someone?" Owen broke out.

"Quinn James. Nate is going to freak once he finds out Lucas recruited his sister-in-law," commented Rachel.

"Tell me about it," mumbled Jake.

Skills and Clay decided to veer from the spectrum and high-fived each other.

Rachel asked, "What are you two so happy about?"

"Another girl?" Skills said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Quinn James is hot," Clay said.

"Amen, brotha."

"Oh. My. God. Shoot me now." Rachel lowered her head until it finally hit the table.

* * *

><p>The brunette walked straight to his table and whipped out a pen and a pad.<p>

"Can I get you anything sir?"

Lucas stared at her for a few seconds before answering. She stared back. Why did customers have to do this? "Yea. Can I get a corned beef sandwich and water?"

"Anything else?"

"Yea, can I interest you in a job?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"A job. You know, kind of like the one you're doing now. Just with better pay and none of the customer bullshit that some people pull."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I… I don't know who you are or what you're trying to pull."

"I wouldn't expect you to. And until this afternoon, I didn't know who you were either. Richard told me I could find you here."

Richard was apparently all she needed to hear as she stalked away.

He got up and followed her into the back. "Don't go. He doesn't have anything to do with this, alright? He's not on my team and you won't have to see him."

"Do you guys think this is some kind of joke? There's nothing 'thrilling' about conning people out of their money," she hissed.

"Maybe not for you. Look, I know money's a little tight right now."

She snorted. "Did _Richard_ tell you that?"

"Uhh, maybe, but that's not really important," he said, "Manhattan isn't the best place to live and this deli isn't the best place to work. What I'm offering you is a chance to make it rich. Rich enough to retire. And something tells me you want to make it on your own."

"I'm not interested…"

"Oh, the name's Lucas."

"Lucas, I'm not interested in conning people. I'm trying to make an honest living."

Lucas took a glance at her. Yep, she was the type to play it straight. "Honest honestly hasn't gotten people very far, has it?"

"That's not true," she argued.

"Really? Businessmen. Responsible for the whole economy collapsing. Insider trading, housing bubble, anything to make a quick buck. They got off easy, they're not in jail. Politicians. Got a heck of a lot of power, but everyone knows that politicians are liars. You ever wonder why CEOs get massive bonuses for doing nothing while you're stuck here barely making it even though you're working your ass off?"

"Really, I don't need to hear anymore."

"But-"

"Lennie, can you see this man out?" The man nodded and immediately showed up next to the pair.

"Hear me out."

"You heard the lady, she wants you to leave."

Lucas raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, I got it. Just let me say one last thing."

The man turned back to her. She nodded.

Lucas cleared his throat. He took out a black card and offered it to her. "Here's my card. If you change your mind, meet me at the location on the back."

She flipped the card over. "What makes you think I won't turn you over to the authorities?"

"Call it gut instinct."

* * *

><p>By the time Lucas got back, it was nightfall and everyone was already at the meeting place.<p>

Rachel was quietly sitting down, observing her nails. Nate was on the phone, most likely talking to his wife. Jake and Owen were joking around. Mouth took his customary place in front of his laptop, seated next to someone Lucas didn't recognize. He was trying to explain to Whitey how to send an email. Skills and Clay were playing with a BB gun in the corner. And Quinn was looking through his closet, something that elicited a confused look from Lucas.

He cleared his throat to gain the attention of the others. Nate looked at him and said his goodbyes and for the most part, everyone shut up. Except Skills and Clay. Quinn was still looking through his closet.

"Alright, I see that everyone's here already. Now I'm aware that some of you may not have worked with each other before and I trust that I've given you more than enough time to become acquainted with each other. Just in case you haven't, I'll give you a short intro."

He walked over to Nate. "This is my brother. Nice to have you on the team. He's our architect. He can pull out any floor plan and give us the down and dirty on all of it." He gave him a quick man hug, and then walked over to Rachel. "This is Rachel, or as I like to refer to as Red. Anyone else call her that, she's going to cut off your freaking head. Master seductress as you all can imagine." She gave a quick wave.

"Jake, my demolitions expert. Don't cross this pretty boy because he's got a quick temper."

"Thanks man. Touching introduction," joked Jake.

Lucas rolled his eyes and gently pushed his head. "Sitting next to him is Owen. Trained in multiple fighting styles and knows the specs of every weapon from the back of his head. Said to have taken out 10 guys in 5 minutes."

"Four," Owen intervened.

Lucas turned back. "Excuse me?"

"It was more like four."

Lucas shook his head. "Four it is. Moving on," he said while snatching the BB gun away from the deadly duo, "The two pranksters, Skills and Clay. They're our grifters. Watch out for these two."

He walked over to Mouth and Whitey. "Mouth is your tech guy. He can hack into any system there is. The guy next to him, I don't know who the hell he is, so you better talk to me quick."

Mouth timidly spoke. "He's Julian." Julian waved to the rest of the group. "He's into gadgets and he's got plenty of connections in the black market and on the streets."

Lucas looked at him skeptically and decided to shake his hand. He shrugged. "If Mouth says we could use you, then welcome to the team." The two guys high-fived each other.

"This man is a little older than the rest of us." Julian scoffed, which prompted a glare from Lucas. "Show some respect, alright?" he admonished, "I'm sure everyone knows him and he clearly needs no introduction. Whitey." Whitey patted Lucas' hands, which were placed on his shoulders.

"And last but not least, Quinn, who is currently looking through my closet for reasons unknown. She's our disguise expert."

"You've got a great sense of style, Luke," she said as she walked over to a seat while holding a pair of jeans, "I'm going to borrow this if you don't mind."

"Uhh, yea sure." He walked back to the front of the room. "Now that that's settled-"

"Wait. Where's Richard?" asked Rachel.

Just then, the brunette from the deli walked through the open doors of his warehouse. Lucas walked over and placed an arm over her shoulders.

"Who the hell is she?" Rachel quickly inquired.

"Richard can't do this job. This is Brooke guys. She's our lock pick."

Jake leaned over to whisper into Rachel's ear. "She's hot. You jealous?"

* * *

><p><strong>Two of the comments I got were asking whether Brooke is a Tess-like character. I think I'm going to make her, her own character. Rest assured, she will be a love interest for Lucas. It's only a matter of when.<br>**


	3. Wires

**I got a request to give a quick run down of the ages of the characters. To be honest, I haven't really thought about it. I guess the best place I can put them is in their 20s. Whitey is somewhere around their late 60s as is Richard. I'm sorry if this isn't specific enough.**

****In response to another comment, I also thought the previous chapter was a little fast, but I didn't want to spend too much time dwelling on the assembly of the team.**  
><strong>

**And I feel awful about not being able to update, but I'm swamped with the SATS, the projects, my finals, other tests, and whatnot. Before my two weeks of hell, I wanted to at least get one chapter out. And here it is.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"I think we should vote to kick her out. We can't trust her."<p>

"Rachel-" Lucas tried.

"What? I'm serious," she got up and faced the others, "How many of you think we can actually trust her? She's not even in the circuit. None of us have ever heard of her until today."

Jake came to Brooke's defense. "And until today, none of us have ever heard of Julian, except for Mouth. Green isn't a good color on you, Rach."

Skills spoke up. "But she's not even wearing green."

"Yea man. She's wearing more of a… purple? Yea. It's more of a purple, wouldn't you say?" Clay added.

"Totally. It's purple man," Skills finalized.

Quinn removed her focus from the jeans and offered her two cents. "I agree with Rachel. I vote her out."

Everyone decided to vote at once and everything came out as incoherent chatter.

"I think we should let her stay." "We need more girls." "She can't be trusted." "She looks like a good guy. She can't be one of us."

Lucas slammed his hand against the metal door. "I'm not asking any of you to vote on this. I'm not asking any of you to trust her. And I sure as hell am not asking any of you to stay if you don't want to. I'm making the decision to put her on this team. I'm not looking for an approval on this and if none of you can trust my decision, you're more than welcome to walk." He stepped aside and gestured at the opening. "There's the door."

The gang cast glances at each other, waiting to see who would walk. None of them did.

No one dared to challenge Lucas, deciding to remain quiet instead.

"I hope you know what you're doing Lucas. It's a hell of a risk to go against your team like that," Whitey said as he walked over to Brooke, "Sweetheart, you've got a lot to prove and I'm sure none of these people are going to let you off easy. Tell you what, you do one side job and we'll decide if you're good enough for the big leagues."

Brooke looked over at Lucas, who nodded. "I'm up for it."

"Good," Whitey complimented in his not-so-compliment-sounding way, "We'll start tomorrow. Old man needs his rest. Owen, you helping me out?" It was an odd thing really. That a guy as built as Owen would bend down to the commands of Whitey. He nodded and walked Whitey out with him.

Jake got up from his seat. "I should get going too. There's a girl and drink with my name on it somewhere."

Skills and Clay shouted in unison. "We're coming with you."

Lucas looked towards Mouth, who answered, "My mom wants me back before midnight. I have to go."

"And Julian?" asked Lucas.

"Mouth's my ride. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"How about you Quinn?"

"I'm crashing at my sister's place. Or Nate's place. Or both their places, depending on how you look at it."

Nate walked over to him and gave him a man hug. However, he held his grip on Lucas' hand and whispered into his ear. "What the fuck were you thinking when you decided to contact my sister-in-law?"

"That you were going to be looking after her," Lucas smugly said.

Nathan chuckled. "Son of a bitch" With that, the two left.

"Guess that leaves you two."

"Lucas, can I talk to you for a second?" Brooke asked.

"Shoot."

"I don't want to deal with my landlord tonight. I was wondering if maybe I could crash here. If it's okay with you, of course."

"Take the bed. You can stay as long as you like," Lucas answered and walked towards Rachel. "I'm guessing you're staying?"

She glanced at Brooke. "Yea I'm staying. I'm going to take a quick shower first. Want to join?"

He smiled. "Thanks for the offer Rachel, but I'm going to have to pass. You're taking the couch tonight unless you two are okay with sharing a bed. I'm taking the floor."

"No thanks. You're welcome to share the couch with me though."

"The floor's fine."

* * *

><p>His sleeping routine had changed since he entered prison. Even though he could hold his own, he stayed up most of the night to make sure he wouldn't become someone's bitch.<p>

The nicotine helped a little with that as well.

The sky was as dark as fuck. No moon tonight.

"Couldn't sleep?"

Lucas turned to the perpetrator. "Nope." He took another drag and blew out a perfect ring.

"Thanks for letting me stay."

"Don't mention it." He gave the cigarette a quick tap. The orange fire burning through the stick was the only source of light. His eyes were concentrated in front.

"Listen, I know you don't trust me and I've given you no reason to. But I also haven't given a reason for you not to. I don't know how this works. Guess what I'm trying to say is can you help me out? Even just a little clue would do fine. I don't want the rest of the team hating you for going out on a limb for me. And I guess for my selfish reasons, I don't want them hating me either."

Lucas glanced at her, but made no attempt to answer. Drag after drag and still no answer.

Brooke, who had stared at him expectedly, was thoroughly disappointed and wanted to press for an answer, but she decided against it. Instead, she headed back towards the warehouse.

"Rachel makes herself out to be a slut," Lucas finally said. He turned his head to face her. "Don't get me wrong. She's had her fair share of men and at times, she can be a complete bitch. But that's just a cover. She doesn't like anyone knowing about her past and she's gone to great lengths to conceal it. She doesn't trust easily. Maybe it's because she's never been in contact with someone long enough or been in the same place long enough to trust."

"She seems to trust you."

Lucas chuckled. "Yea, well. It didn't come easy. Once you get her to trust you, she'll be one of the most fiercely loyal people you know. It was by no means an easy task, but I would go through the motions again if I had to. She seems intimidating, but don't let it get to you. Don't try to please her. It's weird, but she likes when someone can stand up to her and call her out on her shit."

"Someone like you huh?" Brooke smiled.

He returned it. "Someone like me."

The two basked in the sound of crickets for a few moments. "Anything else you can pass onto me, oh wise one?"

He chuckled. "Jake's a hothead, but an overall nice guy. You won't have any problems with him. If you're a pretty girl, he won't mess with you."

"Good to know."

"Mouth is friendly. You two will get along just fine. Owen puts on a tough façade most of the time, but he's a big softie at heart. Doesn't talk much, but just enough to get his point across. Skills and Clay are the ones that you see finishing each other's sentences. It drives all of us crazy, but it's their nature. They're basically kids trapped in adult bodies. They love gambling and toys."

"The BB gun kind of gave it away."

"You going to let me finish or what?" he teased.

"Sorry, continue."

"So yea. Quinn is a bit eccentric at times. No one really gets what's going on in her head and she has a tendency to randomly say things. She's the fashion aficionado. All you need is the dress of the season and you're set in her book. Whitey is the oldest member of this team, but he's also the smartest. Pounded out a New York Times crossword in 10 minutes. He is by far, the most normal guy on the team. He's old school. If you respect him, he respects you. Nathan is my brother. I'd like to think I still know him, but he's apparently become level-headed. He's very analytical. First impressions are all you get with him. If he likes you, he likes you. If he doesn't, there's not a chance in hell he'll ever like you. I don't know how it works exactly, but he gets all the info he needs with one look. I don't know anything about Julian, you'll have to go to Mouth for that."

"What about our fearless leader? Any skeletons in the closet that you'd like to reveal?"

He gave her a hard look. "Don't put too much faith in me." He flicked the stub and footed it until the light was gone. He headed inside. "Goodnight."

Brooke yelled after him. "Thanks."

* * *

><p>Brooke awoke the next morning, feeling as groggy as ever. Rachel was still passed out on the couch, but Lucas was nowhere in sight.<p>

She maneuvered her way around the warehouse and its many blocked off sections.

"Good morning. There's breakfast if you want," Lucas said, successfully startling Brooke in the process. One of his arms was rested against the counter and his hand on the opposite arm caressed the ear of a coffee mug.

"Didn't know you cooked. Never would have imagined it either."

"Okay smartass. I bought all of this, now are you going to stand there or are you going to dig in?"

She shrugged. "Sure." She took a seat and eyed the plethora of food. "So, think you can help me cheat a little? You know, reveal the mission details a little early so I have time to plan it out," she joked.

"Not a chance in hell. You want in, you play by the rules."

The two turned towards the redhead, who recently got up, as indicated by the ruffled hair and tired expression.

Brooke tried her best to suppress a glare. "I was joking, if you couldn't pick it up from my tone. I know you don't think much of me, but I want to be on this team. Maybe not as much as you guys, but hey, it's a start, right? And contrary to popular belief, I can handle myself just fine."

"Talking is easy. We'll see when we get to it," Rachel retorted, "Speaking of, Lucas, the team's going to be here in a few."

He nodded. "I know." He took a remote and turned on the TV screen. "Surveillance picked it up about half a mile back. Brooke, I hope you're ready."

* * *

><p>After everyone was done plowing through <em>l<em>_e petit déjeuner, _Lucas called everyone in for the first meeting of the day.

"I'm sure you're aware that we have two new people on the team. Given that Julian in already in the game, I think we can all agree we can skip the formalities we normally take with the freshmen. Before we get started on our first official mission, we decided that Brooke be tested and that is precisely what we're going to do. Now most of you are familiar with my methods, but to ease the freshmen in, I'm going through the basics of protocol again," he said as he handed a manila folder out to Brooke, "This is the dossier. Mission backgrounds, identities, and any other materials will be found in your dossier. I expect the two of you to read through the mission background **thoroughly**. A mission goes wrong, we point our fingers at those who don't read it carefully. Let me get one thing straight, the atmosphere is jocular, but I am by no means your friend during a mission."

"Thanks a lot Lucas," said Jake.

"No problem," Lucas joked as he gave Jake the customary handshake, "You fuck up, you can guarantee I'll be on your back."

"I have no objections to you being on my back," remarked Rachel. The double entendre was practically dripping from the statement.

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "The workplace is separate from the personal space. What you do on your own time is none of my business. Keep your emotions at the door and no one will have a problem. Now, I'm sure Whitey is dying to throw in his two cents?"

He helped Whitey up before taking a seat in the corner.

"I don't have as much to say. The game's simple sweetheart. We test you for communication, observation, and infiltration skills. Three tests. Mouth cut all signals, so it's going to be pure brainpower on this mission. There's a car parked outside to help you get from place to place. Here's your first clue," he said as he gave her a piece of a paper, "You have three hours. Your time starts now."

The team began to file out. Lucas was the last on the line.

"Wait. Lucas, what happens when I finish? Do I come back here?"

He looked at the ground before looking back at her. "The first clue is in your hand. I'm sure you can handle it.

* * *

><p>She sat at the kitchen counter for the longest time, trying to figure out the meaning to the clue.<p>

_The closest you'd get to heaven when the shadows of Chicago fell._

"What the hell did that mean?" she thought, "Closest you'd get to heaven. So, someplace tall right? Maybe a mountain of some sort?"

"Shadows of Chicago," she said out loud as she tapped her finger on her chin. "Organized crime! Finally, I'm getting somewhere. Okay, fall of organized crime in Chicago. Chicago. Chicago. Al Capone." She snapped her fingers repeatedly hoping to get something. "Al Capone, organized crime, Chicago. Okay? And it fell. So when Al Capone was taken down. I swear I remember this. Come on Brooke, you got this. Just think a little harder and… I'm talking to myself. Great. 1931? Now, I have a date."

She took a bottle of water outside of the fridge and broke the seal. "A tall place in 1931. Possibly in Chicago? No, that makes no sense. Tall place in New York in 1931. I should have paid more attention during history. Well, the Empire State Building is pretty tall. AND it was the tallest place in New York in 1931!" Her voice progressively increased in volume at this revelation.

She quickly grabbed the keys to the car and ran out of the warehouse.

* * *

><p>Moments later and a parking mishap later, she arrived at the destination. She got up to the observation deck as soon as she could, in hopes of finding the next clue. She weaved her way around the bands of tourists who were a little trigger happy with their cameras.<p>

A man rather roughly bumped into her. She was about to chew him about before she realized what he had passed onto her. Her second clue.

_Thomas Nast and Fiorello LaGuardia._

"Thanks a lot. Two names?" she said frustratingly. She ran her hand through her hair.

* * *

><p>Brooke sat in the car waiting for an epiphany. The two names related in some way, but that was as far as she got. Other than the fact that Nast was a cartoonist, thanks to <em>Richard<em> shoving down bits and pieces of history down her throat during her childhood. And every New Yorker knew LaGuardia as a mayor. A cartoonist and a mayor, and the previous clue linked to crime.

She was positive she knew this. All those years of learning about crime history, like no other girl her age did, had to account for something. She made a quick rundown in her head. "Thomas Nast: cartoonist, wait, political cartoonist; Fiorello LaGuardia: mayor and the namesake for a school; overall "good" guys, so they probably took out bad guys. Boss Tweed. LaGuardia was the anti-Boss Tweed mayor. Nast's cartoons helped take down Boss Tweed. That was their connection. Still, Boss Tweed wasn't good enough. There is a bar named Tammany Hall now that I think about it."

Connecting the dots wasn't as easy as she hoped it would be. The team was apparently history oriented, albeit crime history, which was a little disturbing to say the least.

So, she found herself at Tammany Hall. She knew the bartender there, but she didn't know what she was doing there.

"Hey Ashley."

"Brooke," she semi-greeted. She wasn't surprised to see her, which led her to question: was Ashley connected to the game?

"Judging by your expression, you were expecting me?" she asked knowingly.

"Yea, a hot blonde guy walked in a little over an hour ago, paid me to keep something that you want."

"Any chance I can get that something I want?"

"Sure," Ashley responded. She turned around toward the bar and arranged the bottles.

Brooke watched confusedly. "Anytime like now?"

Ashley took a glass and placed it in front of her. She poured tequila, cointreau, and lime juice. "Here's the thing. I really want to help you Brooke and we're good friends and all, but the guy offered me his number to give you a hard time. You have to convince me to give you the next clue."

Brooke chuckled and took the drink. "I'm willing to bet good money that the phone number he gave you is fake."

Ashley looked at her skeptically. Brooke shrugged her shoulders. "You can call the number if you don't believe me."

"I believe you, but I'm still not giving you the clue," she said in a singsong.

"I can give you his real number. And there's two hundred dollars in it for you when I get my first cut."

Ashley immediately smiled. "Deal."

"You sure put up a good fight," Brooke sarcastically said.

"What can I say? I'm powerless when it comes to hot guys," she said, not embarrassed at all.

"Some things never change. So about that clue…"

Ashley took a martini glass and emptied out her cocktail shaker before placing it in front of Brooke. "Good luck."

* * *

><p>The third was by far the easiest clue. <em>740 Park.<em> However, knowing them, there had to be some kind of catch.

This was by far, the most upscale place she had ever set foot in.

She looked at the building directory, but nothing. What did they want her to do with an apartment complex? She looked through the directory again. Observation skills, right? The second look over seemed a lot clearer now that she had a vague idea of what she was looking for. Bingo. _BRAD A.M. RHUIN 6__th__ floor_

Excited by her solving the final clue, she took the stairs, eager to see what was in store.

She stared at the door. The lock seemed pretty simple to pick, she had practically done it a thousand times. A couple of turns and a click later, she was in. She was met with the sight of the team in all its glory. Lucas stood at the front while the others stood at ease behind him.

"Congratulations Brooke. You're in," he smirked as he handed her a shot glass.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What's this?"

"Just a little something to initiate you. Julian already drank it."

He cut in. "Yea, and I'm still feeling the effects."

Lucas quickly added, "It's absinthe. Once she takes this shot, all doubts are left at the door. I don't want to hear any stories about digs passed in her direction."

She grabbed the glass and downed its contents. It was clear to the rest of them that the drink was in no way satisfying. Her face had contorted with an utter look of disgust. The team took to cheering and clapping. Even Rachel offered a small golf clap.

Skills and Clay had uncorked a bottle of champagne and were offering a glass to everyone. Lucas placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Don't get too excited, we still have work to do."

Brooke cleared her throat before approaching Lucas. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, what's up?" He allowed himself to be pulled to a quieter place.

"Thanks."

He smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Leverage. You gave me leverage."

"I didn't give you anything you didn't already have," he said before walking away. He turned around to say one last thing, "I forgot to give you something." He tossed a silver coin, which she caught with ease.

"What is it?"

"Call it a souvenir."

* * *

><p><strong>I purposely left out the answer to the third clue. To those who want to figure out what it means, knock yourselves out. To those who don't care, that's fine too.<strong>


	4. Spanish Prisoner Part I

**SCHOOL'S OUT! With the exception of a volunteer job, most of my time is free. So, I should be updating fairly regularly. It was an overall exhausting year, but I'm happy with the way my grades turned out.**

**Anyway, that's not really important. New chapter:**

* * *

><p>"Now we're done with all the bullshit, we can start our job," he took the stack of folders and gave it to the person at the end of the row, "Most of you probably heard of this con before. It's called the Spanish Prisoner."<p>

Rachel interrupted. "Which happens to take a huge amount of time."

Lucas smiled. "Yes, but if done correctly, yields a huge payout."

Jake, who had the folder opened, said, "Who's the pompous asshole?"

"He's Laurence Cox. He took a large bonus when Lehman Brothers fell. Using the capital, he opened his own investment bank. Over the past three years, his wealth has more than quadrupled and he has bought out 4 companies and counting. It boils down to this: he forces the stock prices to drop and buys them when the prices are as low as they can go. Uses any way possible and has connections to a bunch of shady people, people we wouldn't even touch within a mile radius. He makes us look like angels."

"Why him though? There are plenty of other Wall St. guys who do this type of stuff," Julian said.

"None of them with deeper pockets," Whitey interjected.

Lucas walked over to the screens that Mouth tricked out. "Exactly. Inside each of your dossiers is a plane ticket to L.A. Cox is out there for a meeting, hopefully to land his next deal. While he's down there, he's going to be attending _the_ party of the year. That's our way in. Your roles are specified."

"Why do I have to work the event?" Jake complained upon reading further into his file, "You know I would flip out as soon as those self-entitled rich guys open their mouths."

"I want you to work the floor. You pay attention to detail, Nathan needs it to build the profile. Now the others. Quinn and Brooke are going to be working the floor with you. Julian and Mouth run surveillance. Owen, you're running the kitchen. In case anything goes wrong, you're our exit. Whitey is the rich businessman whose company is quickly going down the drain. Skills and Clay, I know how much you hate being away from each other, so you'll be Whitey's security detail. And during that time, no talking to the guests or raising attention. We don't want Cox to get suspicious."

Nathan raised his hand. "Excuse me. Am I the only one that doesn't have a ticket?"

The others looked around and nodded their heads.

Lucas stared at him before answering carefully. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but you're the only person that has any ties to the "normal" world. You can't explain this one to the wife."

The look of frustration was clear on his face. "Look, I can tell her I'm going on a business trip."

"To L.A.? Nice try Nathan. Worry about your fake job and we'll keep you on the page with the real one," Lucas produced a net book and handed it to Nathan, "Mouth linked this to a hidden server. Fingerprint scanner next to the touchpad. Everything you need is on there."

"Nice. We're capitalizing on my looks again," Rachel said sarcastically.

"We're both going to approach the target. I'm the middle man and you're the girl with the sob story."

"And where's the money?" Quinn asked.

"Finder's fee should split 5 million among us. When the deal goes through, that's another 11 million in our pockets."

Owen spoke next. "When do we start?"

Lucas opened the doors to his warehouse before looking back at the team.

* * *

><p>The team split once on the airplane. Whitey, Skills, and Clay were seated in the front of first class while Lucas and Rachel sat two rows behind them. The rest rode coach.<p>

Julian grumbled. "Had I known I was riding in coach, I would've sprung a few extra hundreds to get upgraded."

Jake stopped putting his bag above his seat and gave Julian a hard glare. "I'll admit. Riding coach when you've got more than enough money to go first class kind of sucks, but you don't see the rest of us complaining."

The two men were practically in each other's faces.

"Maybe if you all weren't too busy kissing Lucas' ass, you would have been complaining."

Mouth, who sensed an oncoming fight, took the chance to distance the two of them. "HEY. Hey, let's just calm down and take it easy. This is such a trivial matter to fight about. Julian flew first class ever since he was a little kid so he's not that used to coach. Jake, I know you get angry, but just cool it okay?"

"Self-entitled rich kid."

"Fucking insane." They muttered in unison before parting ways.

The others stood there watching the scene unfold while the rest of the passengers seemed rather oblivious.

The two took their respective seats, Julian next to Mouth and Jake next to Owen.

* * *

><p>"I know you get stuck doing jobs like these all the time. If you would rather not do it, I could ask Quinn to take over," Lucas whispered when he noticed Rachel looking out the window.<p>

"No, it's fine. It's just that sometimes it gets a little old. I get it. I'm insanely hot, but sometimes I wish there was more I could do," Rachel replied.

"Trust me. If you think you're going to get off easy on this job by being the hot bimbo, you're sadly mistaken," Lucas joked, "Cox isn't the type to get reeled in by looks alone. Sure, it might catch his attention, but if you can't hold up a decent conversation, another girl is going to steal his attention."

"Window period?"

"A minute. A minute and a half tops. Everything after that is pretty much touch and go."

She shrugged her shoulders. "As long as he doesn't play grab ass too early in the game, I can handle it."

Just then, the stewardess arrived at their row. "Hi. Can I get you two anything?"

Lucas turned to Rachel.

"Well, I'd really like to renew my membership to the mile high club."

The stewardess blushed and Lucas chuckled. "Two glasses of pinot noir if you have it on board." She nodded and gave it to them. "Thank you."

"You know, you could afford to be more normal in these types of situations."

Rachel smiled. "What would be the fun in that?"

He shook his head in a half-disapproving way. "I'm going to check on the team."

She nodded.

* * *

><p>A man got up from his seat just as Lucas approached their row. He took it, unbeknownst to the team. Jake was asleep and Owen was looking out the window. Quinn was flipping through a fashion magazine, Brooke was engrossed in a game of Angry Birds, Julian was flipping through his Blackberry contacts, and Mouth was, as expected, on his laptop.<p>

The man's wife immediately started protesting.

"I'll be just a moment, ma'am. I just need to speak with someone," he said as he called an attendant over, "Excuse me, would it be possible to get a bottle of wine for the lovely lady sitting next to me?"

"Sauvignon blanc," she noted rather happily.

"Sauvignon blanc it is," he smiled.

"Very well, sir."

He turned to the woman. "The seat's all yours."

"You might want to aim a little higher."

Brooke immediately paused the game and looked at him. "Hey Lucas. Uhh, is there something you need or…"

"No, I just wanted to check on you guys. How's the flight so far?"

"What? You don't trust us?" she teased.

"Not a chance in hell," he said, "So, the flight?"

"The flight, right. Well, it's boring. Everyone is doing their own thing. And there was a little fight at the beginning, but we smoothed that over pretty quickly."

He nodded. "Listen, you sound like you're doing okay, but I've been in this game long enough. There's no reason to be nervous. I'm absolutely certain no one is going to through you under the bus and I'll make sure you get by."

"It's a good thing I chose to join this team then, huh?" She smiled.

"We have our moments, but yea, if you were stuck with another team, you might not be so lucky."

Quinn smiled mischievously, "Just don't let Rachel know you're getting too close to our boss here. She might not appreciate it all that much."

He scoffed. "Does everyone know about that?"

"Know about what?" Brooke asked.

"Rachel and Luke slept together. It's no big deal, everyone knows."

"It was once and it didn't mean anything. We both know that and you should all know it too. Quinn, tell Jake he's a dead man when he wakes up. Brooke, there's nothing to be worried about." He got up and pulled Jake's sleep mask before letting it go with the "accidental" slip of the finger.

Jake sat up within a nanosecond and placed his hands over his face in pain while the girls laughed.

As soon as Lucas left, the man returned. "Who was that?"

"A bearer of great gifts," she dangled the glass.

* * *

><p>Once a knock was heard, Lucas opened the door. Quinn practically ran over him, barely waiting as the crack of the door widened. She was wheeling a rack of clothes.<p>

Without speaking a word, she threw catering uniforms to Jake and Brooke, who didn't know what, was happening. Owen was thrown a chef's coat and pants, Skills, Clay, Whitey, and Lucas, suits and Rachel, a dress.

Rachel ditched her blouse and skirt and revealed her lacey red bra and matching panties. Quinn and the guys also started stripping. Whitey retired to his room. The only person it seemed to surprise was Brooke. Mouth and Julian were too busy taking in the view.

Lucas, who was down to his Calvin Klein briefs, stopped upon noticing Brooke's lack of movement. "You can change in my room if you want. We've gotten into a routine when it comes to dressing up."

"If this is what the team does, then there's no reason I should be any different," she said as she proceeded to do the same.

He shrugged and continued.

Rachel was already done and was now applying makeup. She had a clear view of the room from the mirror. "Not bad, Davis."

Lucas looked up at her when she spoke and turned to Brooke. He smirked before returning to button his shirt. "Ease up, Rachel." Not that he would admit it out loud, but he admired the sight of the brunette. There was no doubt that the glimpse of her in her underwear, hair cascading down her shoulders, would weave its way into his thoughts on some cold, lonely night. He knew better than to act on it, however, especially since his relationship with Rachel proved that work romances, theirs albeit short-lived and unimportant, never ended well. No one could ever blame the man for sneaking an extra look.

Brooke shook out her hair and smoothed out her outfit as a last touch. She took notice to Lucas' tie, which was slightly off-center. She walked over without warning and started fixing it. "Your tie's a little crooked."

"It's a good thing you're here to fix it then, huh?" His smile was warm, but his eyes bore a dangerous glint, something that didn't go unnoticed by Rachel.

The redhead cleared her throat and looped her arm around Lucas'. "I think it's about time to get started, don't you think?" Lucas gave Brooke one last look before turning to the group and untangling his and Rachel's arms.

Mouth handed him an aluminum case, which he showed off. "Comms so we can communicate during the party. The help should head to the venue…" he checked his watch, "… right about now. Any questions before we leave?"

"Yea. What-"

"No questions? Alright, let's go."

* * *

><p>The team was scattered throughout the venue, each had a clear view of the target.<p>

Lucas and Rachel were working their way around the room while Whitey was approaching in the opposite direction.

"Eye on Cox. Target is moving toward the main room. Free to approach," Lucas softly said.

"Roger," said Whitey.

Cox approached the open bar with a blonde woman, who was most likely an escort.

The blonde and the redhead made their way to the bar, ambushing Cox in the process.

"Mr. Cox?"

The man turned around and signaled for the woman to leave. "Yes. And you are?"

"Lucas St. Alexander," he lied, "It's nice to meet you."

"Undoubtedly," Cox said rather snobbishly, "I'm afraid I have business I should attend to." He promptly pulled out his Blackberry and pretended to look through his files before placing it back inside his jacket. He waved his bodyguards over.

"I have a business proposition. Specifically, concerning a failing company," Lucas said unfazed. This was enough to grasp Cox's attention.

"I'm listening."

"I'm merely the middle man. Perhaps it would be better for the daughter of the CEO to explain the situation."

Cue the waterworks. Rachel was a great actress, especially when it came to conning people. She wasn't crying outright, but she offered just a few tears to express her deep-seated "sorrow". "My father's been a great businessman. He started the business when he was young and expanded it to what it is now. Then, a couple of months ago, the stock prices started dropping, but no one knew why. Mr. St. Alexander here," she gestured towards Lucas who gave a quick smile and a short wave, "approached me and said he had a solution to the problem. That's when he told me about you and your reputation for your generosity. I know you have no reason to help a woman that just approached you out of nowhere, but I really hope you can find it in your heart to help my father. This business is his life."

The bored look on Cox's face was duly noted throughout. In fact, Cox seemed to be more interested in looking at Rachel's chest the entire time. It took him a few seconds to realize that she was done talking. He put an arm around her shoulder and ran his hand along the length of her arm repeatedly. "Hey honey. Don't cry. Business is all about emotion and your friend here is right. I love helping people out. Have your assistant send my assistant a proposal and I'll contact you over the next few days. I can't guarantee it's going to be a quick fix, but I'm going to find a way to help your father out. It'll only mean we're going to see a lot of each other."

"Thank you, Mr. Cox. I'm very grateful. If it's alright, maybe we could go out for dinner. On me, of course, as a thank you."

"I'd love to go out for dinner, but the gentleman always pays."

She fakes smiled. "Here's my business card. I hope to see you around 7."

"It's a date."

She trotted off, leaving the two men.

"You know, I've never heard of you. Yet, you're willing to help me out with another business and a beautiful woman."

Lucas shrugged. "I'm sure you're a very smart man. I'm not in this for the good deeds. A proposition like this, it doesn't come cheap."

Cox folded his arms. "You're talking about a finder's fee, right?" Lucas nodded. "I'm sure _you're_ a very smart man. It takes balls to cheat me out of money. Let me tell you what, I give you 2 million and you walk away as if this case never had the chance to drop on your lap."

"No. Two million's too little. Seven million and we have a deal."

"Three."

"Six or I walk. There's a rich businessman out there that's going to give me a better offer."

"Three and a half."

"Six."

"Four."

"Six."

"Four."

"We're not going anywhere with this. Why don't we compromise and make it five?"

"Four and a half."

Lucas looked at his watch and threw a fake look of contemplation towards the door. "Five is as low as I'm going to go. Card's in your hands."

Cox hesitated before offering his hand. "Five it is."

Lucas took his hand and shook. A man not part of Cox's security team walked towards the both of them and quietly said, "The bag is in the safe. We have men guarding your room." Cox nodded.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you. If you'll excuse me, I should be moving on to my next venture," Lucas bid.

"Wait. This is a test run, but if you can find me new companies I can help, I'll be sure to throw a few dollars around."

Lucas smiled. "A man has to make a living somehow right?" He started to walk away from Cox. "Brooke, I need you to meet my by the stairwell ASAP. Mouth, check the hotel registry. I need to get a number on Cox's room."

Mouth responded within seconds. "576. You still have the key card I gave you?"

"Still got it. Brooke?"

"I'm already there."

True to her words, she was there when he arrived. "There's a safe in his room, we're going to break into it. Ditch the vest and unbutton a few buttons."

She gave him a look.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "You want to go by unnoticed or what? Look, I'm ditching my jacket; do you want me to undo some of my buttons?"

"Fine." She did as she was told and did him one better: she untied her hair and waved it in a way that would rival most actresses.

Once on the fifth floor, Lucas spoke again. "Mouth, left or right?"

"Right. You're going to find a vent about 10 doors down the elevator."

Without so much as a warning, Lucas took hold of Brooke's hand and started running down the hall, past the elevator.

Brooke sighed in disbelief. "We couldn't have taken the elevator?"

"No cameras on the stairs. Shit," he swore as he caught sight of Cox once the elevator door opened. He quickly turned the both of them around and pressed her against the wall. His lips crashed onto hers, hiding both their faces in the process. It was a short kiss, one that could hardly be considered gentle. He had the respect to not use tongue, but she felt that the kiss lasted too long and too short.

When Cox saw the couple, unaware of whom either was, he commented to his bodyguards, "Someone's getting it in." The bodyguards laughed.

As soon as he was out of sight, Lucas pulled back and ran towards the vent. It wasn't until moments later that he realized that Brooke hadn't followed. She was still in a daze.

He whispered rather loudly. "Brooke? You okay? Come on, we have to hurry."

She snapped out of her dream-like state with a quick shake of the head and followed. "Yea I'm alright."

"I'm going to give you a boost, and then you can pick the lock on the vent."

"Okay."

"Ready?"

"Ready."

He placed one hand over the other, allowing her to stop on top. With a quick extension of the knee, she was up. Seconds later, the lock was picked and the vent was open. She pulled herself up, closing the height she had left.

"Move back," Lucas whispered. He jumped up and caught the edge. Those pull-ups were good for something.

The two maneuvered their way through the vents until they reached the one connected to Cox's room. The quiet murmurs were inaudible, but one thing was clear: they were too close for comfort. Their breaths found no place but on each other.

"What now?" she asked.

"Now, we wait."

* * *

><p><strong>I wasn't extremely happy with the chapter, but I hope you guys are. This chapter mainly served to move the story along so the next chapter should have a lot more conflict and what not (I've already written about 23 of it). Until next time.**


	5. Spanish Prisoner Part II

**You know when I said my schedule was wide open and I had all the time in the world to write stories all day? Yea... so it turns out I underestimated my extremely short attention span (about 5 seconds). And I don't know where the time goes. I workout and volunteer and that's honestly all I can remember about my day. Oh, and I go out a lot. Doing what? I'm not really sure.**

**Anyway, the endorphins from the workouts have been doing me good. Therefore, I've decided to respond to a couple of the reviews I got.**

**JustReckless: an long review basically flattering me at every turn, now that I could definitely get used to lol. and a high-five for the academic accomplishments**

**alysef: glad this story is one of your favs. hopefully, this chapter is equally as enjoyable**

**LaGueraChula7: Rachel definitely comes across as a bitch. You'll see what I mean later, but she has her reasons so just hang in there.**

**ReadingRed, dianehermans, and nena: you three are extremely consistent reviewers which means my story isn't completely sucking as I move along. As always your reviews are greatly appreciated =)**

**And now to the story:  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"When is he going to leave?" Brooke groaned.<p>

"Don't know. This may come across sounding a little stupid on my part, but I suggest you make yourself comfortable."

Mouth came on the comms. "Hey Lucas, the gang is going to head out for dinner. Can we get you anything?"

"I'm good. Brooke?"

"A burger. I would kill for a burger and fries right now."

"You kids have fun," Jake spoke, "We'll be waiting in the back when you're done."

Rachel interrupted. "Not too much fun."

"Guys, move along." Lucas sighed. He turned his comms off and Brooke followed suit.

"You guys do this often?"

"Do what?"

"Get stuck in vents and have your team leave you."

"More than you think. This is relatively tame. I did a mission in Saigon seven years back. I was stuck in the vents while the target was having a good time with a prostitute."

She grimaced. "Glad we're not in that position right now. I feel for you though."

He smiled. "I could have done without having to hear the sounds. It was easy to turn away and not look, but they were unusually loud."

"I could have done without that image," she said.

"It wasn't that bad after the mission was completed and my bank account grew by a couple million."

Brooke turned to face him. "Life was that easy for you?"

He shrugged. "I guess that's one way of looking at it. I entered the game when I was 16. I was the youngest of the group and I didn't gain much respect until I was 20. The only thing that kept my hands from getting caught between the hood and the headlights was Whitey and, I know you're going to hate me for saying this, but Richard as well."

She scoffed.

"Remember when I talked to you about impressions? Well, Richard was like a father to me and I'll admit it, I've seen enough of this world to not get entangled, but I know his favor was misplaced. The same goes for my brother. They both live lives I never want to get caught in, but I wouldn't wish for them to ruin those lives."

"It's a little too late for Richard, don't you think?"

"There's one lesson in the game that everyone learns." He gave no hint as to whether he was going to continue.

She prodded. "Well?"

"As long as you're alive, there's still a chance to change the circumstances."

She chuckled.

He gave his signature grin. "What? You think I'm bullshitting?"

"Just a little. I think I might have read that in a book once."

"Oh yea? What book is that?"

"_The Complete Guide to Bullshitting 101_. I'm seem to recall a section on things guys say when they run out on women."

He joked, "Maybe I should drop by the bookstore and pick up a copy."

"I'm sure you're doing fine on your own."

When a click of the door reached their ears, Lucas quickly turned over. "Time to work your magic."

Brooke immediately compiled. As she was picking the lock, she spoke. "Why exactly are we here anyways?"

"The safe."

"What's in it?" She unhinged the lock and pushed the vent door open.

"Don't know, but we're about to find out."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe he's scamming so many companies," Brooke said in disbelief.<p>

Lucas was busy flipping through the papers in the folders. "That's what he does. The only concern of ours is scamming him."

"Can't we stop him from scamming these people or something?"

He removed his eyes from the papers and planted them on her. "We're not here to save the world Brooke. Besides, some of these companies aren't honest themselves. These acquisitions could very well be preventing an economic meltdown."

"Are you serious? So you're not going to do anything about it?"

He shrugged. "I think you have the wrong side. In clearer terms, we're the "bad" guys, not the "good" guys."

She tried again. "Their files are already here. Don't you want to at least do something about it?"

He gave her a blank stare before closing the file. "Maybe. If you're thinking along the lines of acquiring them, I might be up for it."

"Unbelievable."

"This deal is enough to pull us through. I don't think any of us want to reserve a share for the "Save the Failing Companies Foundation". There's no pro bono in the game."

She ignored him and whipped out her cell, proceeding to take pictures of the files.

"Brooke, you can't be serious. We're supposed to be looking for stuff useful to **us**, not others. Brooke." He sighed and took her phone, holding it above his head. "I'm confiscating this. We're getting back to work."

She jumped up, trying to reach the phone to no avail. "Give it back. You don't have to do anything. This is my side mission."

"Do your job and I'll consider."

"Fine." She began looking at the files before giving up within a matter of seconds. "Can I please get the phone back?"

"Got it." He ignored her. "Receipts from offshore accounts. We have a number to work from now. Just going to take a picture." He took a snapshot using Brooke's phone and handed it back to her. "You know, I'm not completely unreasonable. Bring the pictures to Mouth and we'll work out the kinks from there. Do your job. Don't take side missions when you're on the clock." Having locked the safe, he nodded his head towards the vent. "Come on."

The sound of the card scanner resonated and the turning of the knob could be heard. The two quickly ran toward the vents, where Lucas repeated their earlier actions. Brooke was having difficulty pulling herself up as the door was beginning to inch a little wider.

Lucas hissed. "Brooke, we're going to get caught if you don't hurry up."

"I can't. Stop moving."

He mustered all of his strength and gave her one final boost. Bingo. As the seconds fled from them, Lucas managed to close the vent and lock the door.

"Jesus Christ. We cut it a little too close."

* * *

><p>Mouth dropped the doggy bag in front of Brooke as the gang entered the suite. "Your burger and fries."<p>

"Thanks Mouth. You're a doll."

"No prob. Anything else, I'm right at your service."

Quinn walked in. "Oh god Mouth, it'd be less noticeable if you weren't actually drooling."

Jake dropped onto the couch, much to the chagrin of Rachel, who had claimed it. "Where's Lucas?"

"He's in his room," Brooke said before allowing herself the pleasure of eating. Just as she said this, he exited with a remote.

He sat on the bar stool, one leg on the rest, the other on the floor. "Don't make yourselves too comfortable. We still have work to do."

"Can't we wait until morning?" complained Skills.

"Word. I'm sure we're all tired by now," continued Clay.

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Alright guys. You've had what? Maybe four beers? Five, pushing it. Call me an asshole, I don't care. Go make yourselves a cup of coffee, get some fresh air, do something so you no longer appear tired." He clicked his remote and the T.V. turned on. "We've managed to find files on possible acquisitions that Cox plans to undertake."

"These pictures aren't very clear," Owen interrupted, "Couldn't we enhance it or something?"

Lucas got up and pointed at Owen. "I would pay to hear words come out of this man's mouth."

All eyes turned to Mouth, who scanned the room with the innocence of a little boy. "What? I can't enhance the picture. This is real life, not the movies."

Rachel ignored the debate, "Why… exactly are we looking at this? Our interest isn't in Cox acquiring other companies; it's in him acquiring our company."

"We're going to help these companies."

Within a second, protests were heard around the room.

"No, we finish the job and that's it."

"We've never given a shit about helping others. Why now?"

"I just want my money, without the extra strings attached."

Lucas waved his hands down repeatedly to signal for silence. "Alright, alright. There's no need to flip out. And if you do, don't blame me." He looked over briefly at Brooke before turning back to the others. "Blame Cox. Bottom line is he's a piece of shit. We have a chance to take him for more than he's worth, so why not do it? Normally, I would let this chance pass me, but we live to do this. We live to make people like him miserable." He paused to let his words sink in. "What do you say?"

Surprisingly, it was Julian who arose. "My dad was one of those white collar criminals. I hated that he did the things he did, but I could never do anything about it. I, for one, am so in. Who's with me?" He outstretched his arm and offered a fist to Lucas, who reluctantly bumped it.

"I'm in, I guess," Brooke said, trying not to sound too enthusiastic.

Whitey spoke next. "I trust you Lucas. Whatever you need."

The others soon followed.

* * *

><p>After they had briefed over the details of the takedown, most of them decided it was time to hit the sack.<p>

Brooke found it impossible to sleep, choosing to focus on her side mission instead. She went over the details for what seemed like the tenth time before deciding that she would need input from a few other members of the team.

"I didn't miss the look." Rachel had a way of emerging from the shadows at the most unexpected times.

Brooke decided to play innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Listen, _new girl_, I'm not stupid, so I certainly don't appreciate being treated like I'm stupid. The look Lucas gave you. He has no vested interest in this side mission, but we're all going along with it. The real reason behind us taking a mission we don't want is you."

Brooke opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped by the raising of Rachel's hand.

"Don't worry. I'll keep your dirty little secret. Just so you know, no one on this team has a proper moral compass screwed on. The things you see will change you so I suggest you leave yours on the table before you do see these things. It helps a hell of a lot more when you don't have your conscience weighing you down. And one more thing, you seem to get away with having your way. Your fuse is burning low. Don't try to pull something like this again because I swear I will open this shit to the rest of the team and your ass will be out before you so much as get to say goodbye."

"I get it. We got off on the wrong foot. You think I'm after Lucas when the truth is I'm not. I'm just trying to get by. Everyone on this team has their weird little quirks. I'd like to think maybe mine is my moral compass. On some level, you're right. It would do me good to abandon it, but I'm not doing it while I still have a chance to do good. I've uprooted my entire life and this is me, struggling to hold onto that last string connecting my old life to my new one. In the real world, what I'm doing would be considered commendable."

Rachel let out a dry laugh. "In the real world, you wouldn't have lasted a second. I'm still surprised you did. The only reason Lucas is letting you do this is you remind him of himself. A couple of years back, when he still had his innocence and naivety. Maybe you're not the only one holding on, but the rest of us sure as hell don't seem to have that luxury. And if, _if_, you somehow hook up with Lucas, it would be the most egotistical thing he could ever do."

* * *

><p>One by one, in their respective rooms, the team woke up, attempting to shut out the blaring noise. Some pulled their pillows closer over their heads; others pushed their hands over their ears in a rather futile attempt.<p>

The blaring of the air horn was not quite enough as a repetitive cycle of whistles blew loud and clear.

The crew gathered in the main room, welcome to the sight of Lucas. A couple of hateful glances were cast his way, not that he cared. The women emerged from their rooms with bed hair and groggy faces.

Julian came in through the door all smiles, holding a black bag.

Jake groaned and rubbed his face. "Get that stupid smile off your face before I pound it in. Who the fuck smiles this early in the morning?"

He dropped the bag on the floor. "I picked up something last night. Just in case we find trouble, we'll have these guns on hand."

Immediately, the team backed away. "We touch pretty messed up shit, but we don't play around with this kind of stuff." Jake had his hands raised.

Lucas gave Jake a look and proceeded when the latter nodded. He walked up the bag and unzipped it. He took the safety off. "Glocks? Did you raid a law enforcement office or something?"

"Ehh. Got them half off the black market. They're having a field day."

Just like that, the team realized how dangerous Julian could be.

Lucas chuckled. "It's the fucking black market, not the farmer's market. Whatever, you can keep these here now and we'll find some use for them. Back to business, I have a lunch scheduled with Cox and I want a couple of you to follow. List goes, Jake, Brooke, and Quinn. The rest can have the day off."

Rachel laughed dryly. "You've got to be kidding me. She's inexperienced. The target would be able to see right through her. At least choose someone with more experience like, like… Owen!"

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "But Owen can barely get out one word. List is final. I don't want to hear another word."

* * *

><p>In the late hours of the night, Brooke and Lucas finally entered the hotel sans Jake and Quinn, who were off at some bar.<p>

Lucas' tie hung loose around his neck and Brooke was carrying her heels.

She plopped down onto the couch. "My feet are killing me and I could really go for a drink right now."

He looked through the bar. "Mixed drink or straight liquor?"

"After the day I had with Cox, I'm going to go with straight liquor."

"Cognac okay?"

"I'm up for it."

He walked over to the couch and gave her the glass. "So you didn't entirely suck today."

She scoffed. "Thanks. And you're great at giving compliments."

"Anytime." They clang their glasses. He threw it back and placed on the coffee table. "There's nothing like Hennessy when you're feeling completely tired."

He watched as she downed the drink and struggled. She was thrown into a fit of coughs.

"It's an acquired taste."

"That burned through my throat," she said while observing the remaining droplets in the glass, "Oh my god."

He chuckled. "Precisely why I drink it. You begin to relish the burning feeling. You'll get what I mean."

"I'm starting to think this team loves drinks that produce pain. Absinthe, for example. Terrible way to initiate people, by the way. Who came up with that?"

"Well. It started with Rachel and me. The story's kind of stupid actually, but we wanted to choose the drink we hated the most as a way of showing that we had free will in a world beyond our control. No one likes absinthe. I'd like to know why they keep making it. There was an absinthe bar in the Czech Republic and that initiation came back to bite me in the ass." Before he let the conversation get too far, he cleared his throat. "Anyway, I'm going to turn in. We've got an early start tomorrow. Down a couple more glasses, I'm sure you'll start to like it."

"A boss that urges his employees to drink," her voice raised in pitch, then lowered, "Where were you when I had to deal with my past employers? Shitty wages and long hours? A drink is definitely better."

The deep chortle of his quietly made its way to her ears. "Goodnight Brooke."

* * *

><p><strong>I had a hard time sitting myself down and writing this chapter. Yes, it has finally hit. The wall. Don't worry, I'll have it resolved soon enough. Until next time.<br>**


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